


When The Sun Met The Moon And The Stars Collided

by Snowmanmelting



Category: My Little Pony, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe, F/F, I Blame Tumblr, Nothing explicit but may be a trigger to some, Slice of Life, Sorry Not Sorry, What have I done (again)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-05-18 11:02:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14851506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowmanmelting/pseuds/Snowmanmelting
Summary: Trapped on the other side of the mirror, Twilight Sparkle has to adapt to a world without magic. Given the circumstances, that is the least of her worries.Original work in Spanish in Fanfiction.netProofreaded by Jay Tarrant in Fimfiction





	1. Forgotten Fridays

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with something less long and less dramatic (pff as if). It will deal with serious topics, but such will be very lightly implied and not necessarily the main topic. Just... Keep that in mind, please.

It never crossed Twilight Sparkle's mind to think that destiny would be so cynical and twisted when it came to looking for different ways to make fun of her, or that things would end this way, even.

The Celestia who now entered the room, with a cup of tea in her  _hands_ , was not a Princess, nor the maximum authority of the place, nor an immortal demigoddess. Neither was she a  _pony_  in this case. It was the human version 一counterpart?一 of her mentor, her idol, of whom had turned her back in defense of an unknown pony without thinking twice. It could be that Twilight's accusations had also been somewhat reckless in execution, but it did not deserve the gesture.

Right?

"It's lavender tea sweetened with honey, it will help you fall asleep and rest better." Celestia sat at the foot of the bed, after Twilight accepted the drink with a small nod in a gesture of gratitude.

Initially, between the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling and the fact that there was not much light, Twilight did not notice the main physical characteristic that distinguished both them: this Celestia’s hair did not possess that characteristic brightness of radiant sparks, nor the soft and constant undulation, impregnated with magic so strong that only can be had by one who has the ability to move a celestial body. Actually, it was a rainbow of pastel tones, solid and wavy, luminous, healthy and well cared for, lacking any magic.

_Like everything in this universe._

The younger only focused on drinking the tea in hopes that sleep would attack her as quickly as possible. These had been the worst days of her entire life, and she could not wait for them to become distant memories located in mental pools at the bottom of the unconsciousness.

"I know maybe it's not the best question, but how do you feel?" Celestia remained impassive but attentive; soft, measured, as Twilight remembered the Princess. Maybe they shared more similarities than mere appearances would suggest. Which made it inevitable to find the most appropriate response. Was it in a strictly medical sense or did it encompass more than the mere fact of her physical state? Should she give an ambiguous and, at the same time, concrete answer to summarise of her general state?

Did she even want to give some kind of answer at all?

Her eyes went down to the ceramic mug, half empty. No levitation spell, no hooves held it, but fingers. Phalanges connected to a palm that, as a whole, were the oh so called hands.

Fingers that with their nails could scratch in a vain defense attempt, hands that could close in furious fists and leave more bruises than once believed possible to have.

Given all  _this_  Celestia had done for her so far, the ex-unicorn resolved that in spite of her discomfort she should give a minimal answer, hoping to compensate for the inquisitions on the part of the elder.

“A little better, I think,” Twilight started slowly. “The analgesics are working and I almost don’t feel the headache…”

According to the specialists that treated her in the hospital, she was lucky not to have any serious concussions but only significant bruises and slight scrapes that would take about a month to disappear completely. However, given the facts, Twilight really was not sure whether to call it luck or fortune to have the left side of her face swollen and five shades darker than its original pigmentation. Or maybe there were ten, the differences between color variants by the combination of pigments had never been her forte, probably Rarity or Pinkie Pie would have a more accurate idea about it.

“Are you sure that’s all?” Celestia inquired again, in such way that reminded Twilight of those psychologists whose intention is to generate introspection on the topic addressed. Soft and, despite the use of certain words, without putting pressure.

However, again, it was another question that she was not sure she wanted to answer, there were too many feelings spinning around her to explain them in such a synthetic and light way. Twilight had crossed the portal by mistake already carrying a whirlwind of negative emotions, and when she ended up in this world, she clung to the stupid and positivist idea that at any moment the sun would rise as logic indicates. But she forgot completely that logic and science always have exceptions or multiple variants to reach the same result, depending on the paradigm or its speculative theories. Not to mention that the fact that even if it was a parallel world, did not guarantee that the worldviews would be the same.

Twilight managed to understand this, at the same time she realized that humans did not have the ability to control the weather but to predict it and act accordingly, and all she could do was scream and try to find the fastest exit.

The only thing she achieved was more blows and a rough throat.

So saying that she felt bad, anguished, humiliated, or guilty was a big, vague lie. In fact, there were so many things, so many sensations, so many adjectives that came to mind to self-qualify, that in some way, by evoking them, they ended up annulling themselves in a distressing pressure in the chest. One that she tried in vain to undo with the warm honey that had not dissolved completely in the bottom of the cup and with the little tea that was left. One that did not let her breathe regularly. One that when trying to take a large mouthful of oxygen to relax, obtained as the only result, incomplete syllables and wet cheeks despite attempts to dry them and remove traces of rebellious tears.

Even as Celestia wrapped her in her arms, filling her with soft words of encouragement accompanied by caresses of her hair, Twilight could not help clinging to her tightly and breaking into tears. Even with the cold tingling in her back.

How cynical could fate be so that the most infamous figure to turn her back on her became the only one who had dared to give her a chance?

“I know it's hard to see it now, but soon everything will be fine, okay?” Celestia spoke in a low and soft tone when the younger one seemed to get to regular breathing several minutes later.

Twilight ended up answering affirmatively under her breath, still not losing the grip around the older woman's torso or lifting her head resting on her shoulder. Human movements already felt completely natural to perform, and though she was not very much in favor of physical interaction, she had to admit that somehow it felt much warmer and more comforting than the wings of the Princess on the fur. Even if she was not entirely sure if that opinion was actually due to continuous exposure to the cold winds of autumn since she went through the portal.

Still, the certainty with which Celestia expressed her words made the ex-unicorn feel a little less insignificant, a little less reduced in size in a room that was not her own. Within a strange and completely alien world that, up to the moment, had given her both fascination and complete misery. It made her think that the bad feelings were temporary and that this time the sunbeams that showed through the clouds would last until a sunny day.

“Thanks for everything,” Twilight mused, once the embrace was undone and she felt a little calmer. The anguish was not gone, no, pretending so was absurd. But venting always helped. “It means a lot.”

The woman in front of her might not be a Princess, nor her idol whom she dreamed of ever resembling, or a pony in this case. She was her human version, who at first sight Twilight confused with the equestrian one, believing that she had crossed the portal to take her back to their world. But she was the version that did not doubt a second of the validity of her words and made sure that she received proper medical attention. This Celestia even offered lodging in her house until she found another place to stay when Twilight told her she had nowhere to go.

“Really, honey, it's nothing.” Celestia offered a smile that did not quite reach her eyes, but the simple gesture was enough for the younger girl to try to mirror it. “Now just try to rest, okay? It has been a pretty hectic day.”

Celestia behaved as Twilight would have expected the Princess to, who always used to say that she cared about the well-being of all her subjects. And even though she could not be completely annoyed by the latter's reaction at her brother's wedding, the bitter feeling that fiasco had left her lasted even now, several days later, and it definitely did not help.

After another quick hug and another lavender infusion sweetened with honey to finish mashing the nerves, Twilight was finally falling into the reality of the dream world. Hoping that when she had to reopen her eyes, memories of the past few days would already be scattered behind the fog of the unconscious.

* * *

Twilight woke up with a loud sound that she could barely make out as wood against some kind of frame, and opened her eyes in panic when understanding where it came from.

Fear magnified its asleep omnipresence in an icy current of electricity, clawing bones and putting hairs on edge in mere seconds, dominating any form of logical thought that might have arisen as a rival. The first order it gave was to try to protect from its attacker, which given the time and circumstances, resulted in Twilight trying to make herself as small as possible. Ignoring the muted whimper of her back, the latter collided with the head of the bed and the corner of the wall, hoping to blend in with the room like a simple bulge under the sheets.

_Not again, not again, not again. Please, please don't..._

"Aaahhh!"

The bulge stopped in its tracks. Was that a feminine voice, or had she already began to rave?

"A-are you okay?"

It was definitely a female voice, one she was not sure she recognized but that seemed on the edge of nervousness. Anyway, the simple fact that it was not the opposite sex made her heart rate slow down enough to stop hearing it gallop over her ears

The ex-unicorn opened her eyes, which had already begun to ache from how hard she had closed them —the left one still pulsing thanks to the damned bruise she had there, and inspired as much air her lungs allowed to take the necessary courage and spy who it really was.

Twilight blinked a couple of times thanks to the sudden light in the room, and between the small black spots on the vision, the things around her took their respective shape and color. The bed on the left side, a perfectly tidy desk that occupied most of the adjacent wall given the rectangular shape of the bedroom, a bookshelf on the contiguous wall following the entrance door and to finish the human figure of a girl leaning against the closet inserted into the wall with one hand on her chest, her face a mixture of worry, confusion, curiosity and relief.

The memories of the events that had taken place in the past hours came back to the surface as quickly as they left, as well as that minimal sense of security enough to return the fear back to the subconscious. However, now again the discomfort resurfaced with complete awareness of the situation.

This was not her room, nor her world, nor her original body, even the bedding she was wearing was borrowed. Because this was not her bedroom, but that of the girl who was watching her intently waiting for an answer less than two meters away, of Celestia's  _daughter_. She had been mentioned in a little conversation about the rules Twilight would have to follow if she stayed here, which were basic and logical and Twilight intended to follow them all to a T because, well, she  _was_  a stranger. Despite the fact that Celestia had initially confused her with her apparent human counterpart.

"I-I'm sorry, I thought... I was... somewhere else," she mumbled when remembering she had been asked a question, not knowing where to look more than the 一now一 interesting colored lines of the check in the quilt.

She was in the room of Summer... Streamer? No, that did not sound quite right. But Twilight was shaking like a scared filly under the sheets of  _her_  bed. To say that she felt totally out of place was perhaps too light a phrase.

The other girl shook her head, dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

"It's okay. I think, uh, we both got scared." The red-haired girl with golden locks gave a small chuckle that Twilight thought was a little nervous. "Are you sure you are okay, though? That sounded like it hurt."

The painkillers had already taken effect on most of her body, but for some reason, her back continued to complain of the pain. Or did she have a bruise there and had not noticed? Anyway, this last hit will surely leave a mark. She hated how easy it was for her to bruise, beyond the body she possessed, and the fact that she felt more clumsy in the current one did not help in the least.

Even so, Twilight nodded, not to be embarrassed more than necessary.

"Yes, I'm... I'm okay…" The quilt was interesting not only in color but texture too. It did not feel so soft to the touch, would it be made of cotton, like the ones from Equestria? Twilight swallowed the urge to snort, no longer understanding why she tried to pretend that she had some dignity left. The girl in front of her was Celestia's daughter, yes, and she had already made a fool of herself in front of her. "I'm taking up your space, right? I-I'm sorry, I'll just g--"

"No, no, not at all!" The redhead quickly made a gesture with her hands to reinforce her idea. "It was my suggestion, in fact. You can stay, really."

A pause

"...You sure?" Twilight received a gesture of affirmation with enough resolution than to object a second time. "Wow, that is, a very nice gesture on your part, I mean, you barely know me and, uh, well, thank you."

She bit her tongue, to try to stop babbling things and sink deeper into shame, she did not even understand the direction of her own actions, maybe the bruises had not been as light as the doctors believed and they were affecting her brain activity. Or maybe it was the horrible tiredness along with the side effects of the number of pills she had to take. Or maybe all options altogether.

Twilight made a mental note of looking for some book on human anatomy and psychology. There she would surely find better answers. Checking some information pamphlets would not be a bad idea either.

The girl in front of her crossed her arms, and after a few seconds in which she seemed to be thinking carefully, she licked her lips before finally speaking.

"Let's say that I know this world's Twilight Sparkle quite well. She's technically my cousin."

A pause.

A  _very long_  pause. She was sure that her heart stopped for a second, along with her breathing.

She definitely did not expect that answer.

Twilight had never said her name as far as the conversation went, and even if Celestia had mentioned it to her daughter, which was quite likely given the comment that she had offered her room, it was impossible for her to know that she was really Sparkle instead of Twinkle. At the confirmation that she also had a human counterpart, she lied in that small detail in an attempt to avoid any kind of confusion. She already had too many problems to add something extra like her parents, for example.

Besides that the explicit mention of "this world" implied that there were others, right? At least, Equestria was a parallel version of this world. Twilight had no idea if other worlds existed, as far as portals were concerned it was impossible to access information because it was sheltered in Canterlot library’s forbidden section.

But if she knew that, then it was likely that--

"H-how do you know about...?" For some reason, the voice came out much lower than she intended, but decided to leave the sentence unfinished so as not to give unnecessary information.

The redhead, who now Twilight realized had been looking at her expectantly all this time, rearranged herself against the wardrobe. For some reason, she seemed much less certain than five minutes ago, or what her appearance might suggest, with a leather jacket and black jeans.

"I guess you mean Equestria, right?" She inquired softly. Twilight nodded slowly, apparently, both were testing the waters. "Let's say I tied some knots. Like you confused Celestia with the Princess, and, uh, you mentioned the mirror. So I figured... you were from there."

With the last comment, the ex-unicorn slowly nodded again. If she knew it, then there was no point in hiding it. Twilight was not sure what else to say or do, exactly. One part of her head was asking questions about what, who, how, when, where and why, that the other party, the most rational and logical 一within which allowed such conditions一 began to silence at all costs. At another point in her life, she would have burst into questions, in her need to obtain information about this world, from the idea of learning something new.

Now, given the facts, the best thing she could do was shut her mouth. Not that she had too much of a right to ask, they already had enough hospitality as to have to put up with someone who wanted to put her muzzle in where it did not concern her. Eh, nose, the nose.

"I'm also from Equestria," she commented, answering a couple of questions and at the same time making a few more, because Twilight without constant questioning was not herself.

"Really?" the ex-unicorn released, perhaps more quickly than necessary.

"Yep. About... five years ago." The redhead seemed not to notice, choosing to hang the jacket on the rack behind the door that Twilight did not remember since when exactly it was closed. "It's a long story. But I suppose I can say I understand that first sensation of, well, feeling everything foreign and at the same time not."

More curious questions came to Twilight's mind, she decided to swallow them.

The redhead had her back turned to her, looking for something between the drawers and the shelves on the open side of the wardrobe. There was a moderate amount of clothing, all folded in an orderly fashion, apparently by type or function. Twilight still did not understand too much the difference between bedding and normal clothes. Were they not to cover the body and protect it, and nothing else?

"Yeah. It's, it's rare, to tell the truth." The ex-unicorn allowed herself to barely raise the corners of her lips. "But I think I got used to it."

Twilight had no idea how many days she had been wandering around the city, eight or ten at least, maybe fifteen. But by the third, she felt much more comfortable, as if this was her natural form all her life.

So natural, that even, in a moment, crossed her mind the fleeting idea that in truth all that happened was just a product of her imagination.

She erased that thought as soon as it came.

The other girl in the room closed the sliding door of the wardrobe with a wooden sound against a frame, much like the one that had awakened her. She made a commentary, nodding to Twilight's last comment while looking for another couple of things in the room. Twilight did not stop feeling out of place and was about to say again that she could find another place to sleep, if not for the fact that the redhead would probably insist not to.

"I'm gonna take a shower. Whatever you need, we're in the next room," she said, pointing her thumb behind her, already with a towel on her shoulder and the other hand on the doorknob. "Oh, and uh, I think I never told you my name. I'm Sunset Shimmer."

They exchanged a simple greeting, Twilight tried again to lift the corners of her lips a bit more than it was possible without pain to try and be as polite as possible. There could be no dignity left but she could still pretend, she supposed.

She made another mental note to try to work on memorizing names because there was no point in learning whole books by heart but not knowing what someone was called.

Once again, light off, the full darkness of the night, and weariness forced her to close her eyes in an attempt to rest. She had too much stress, too many emotions, too many questions, her head was going to explode.

Fate again seemed to mock her more and more, with its laughter and impossible coincidences. Not only did the one who had turned her back on one side of the mirror gave her an opportunity in another, but also had a daughter 一adopted, apparently一 that came from the same place, that came from Equestria. It was one chance in a million, but after so much bad luck, it was not necessarily a bad thing.

When Twilight found herself, again, falling into the reality of the dream world, she did it with an extra bit of certainty that maybe, after so many misfortunes, after so many cloudy days, finally some sun would come out.


	2. Informative Saturdays

Twilight's expectations on how to get up the next day proved to be too much.

And she really did not even have an idea what they were, exactly. It surely must have been some unconscious manifesto. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that she remembered half of what happened the day before. Too much information to process, too many facts, an excessive amount of instructions to remember, and various introductions ended up making her head chaotic. Twilight could have a very good capacity for retention and memory, but even for her it proved to be too much. Especially when, at the same time, she was trying to forget about other things.

The effect of the painkillers had already passed, so when she woke up, the first thing to hit her was the five-second panic and a wave of pure pain as she tried to get up in a way that was perhaps a bit brutal thanks to the sudden desperation. Until a quick glance reminded her of where she was and she lay back on the bed with forcibly relaxed muscles.

Twilight was not the type of po-- person who found it hard to get up, or who liked to stay in bed a long time before getting ready for the day. Maybe it was due to the fact that she always stayed late for some reason or another; and when she woke up it was just in time or _about_ to fall behind on the daily schedule. However, this time it took a few minutes to gather the necessary will to _want_ to move. Not only because of that wave of anguish that together with the pain kept her tied to the bed. But also because the sheets were comfortable, soft, and very warm.

At least, the positive was that she had managed to rest more than any previous day. She should thank Sunset Shimmer for insisting that she sleep in her bed.

After finally gathering the will to get up, Twilight decided to comb what would probably be a messy mane with her fingers. She did not feel like going to the bathroom because it meant looking in the mirror and ruining the neutral mood she had. Having an eye without being able to function in the right way was more than enough.

"Good morning..." she greeted after checking that it was around ten o'clock in the morning. According to the clock positioned on the column that gave support to the island kitchen.

Sunset Shimmer returned the greeting automatically from the living room table, never looking up from the papers in front of her. And since there was no sign of Celestia, Twilight decided to occupy the seat next to the girl as discreetly as possible. Her violet eyes watching with curiosity what seemed to have her so busy. It did not take long to discover that it was level five Algebra according to the book on the side of the table. But the formulas that the redhead wrote at full speed on the paper were _too_ familiar.

They reminded Twilight of her time at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and the Spell Theory classes. The intermediate ones, the advanced ones had much more complex limits.

Twilight continued to watch and swallow the effervescent curiosity of asking the purpose of magic formulas if in this world magic was supposed to be nonexistent. Were there exceptions? Could it be reduced to a specific group in particular? Or is it that they were subject to variability according to species, as in Equestria? If this was the case, then the chances of reopening the portal could be greatly amplified.

"...Twilight?"

The girl in question left her trance, looking up at a now clear space since everything had been organized in a neat pile in a corner, to meet the expectant look of Sunset Shimmer. She did not have to give any kind of response to make it clear that she had no idea what the question was.

"I'm gonna make some oatmeal with milk and honey. Do you like it? If not, I can make you else..." the redhead repeated slowly, waiting for some kind of answer.

Twilight just gave a little nod.

"That would be fine. Thank you."

The redhead mimicked her affirmative gesture, and without further ado went to the kitchen a few meters behind her initial position. The apartment did not have big spaces in comparison to the typical Equestrian architecture, but rather in a comfortable size to put several furniture without obtaining a sensation that it reduced the space in excess. It was more than enough for two people to live in, or maybe three if necessary changes were made.

 _Three,_ thought the purple haired girl. Not knowing whether to feel guilty for breaking into the daily lives of the inhabitants of the home or grateful to whoever was the deity of this world for having such luck.

Sunset Shimmer reappeared in a short time with two bowls of oatmeal and, after a second trip, with a couple of spoons, ground cinnamon and a pot of honey.

"Did you sleep well?" asked the redhead while throwing a small spoonful of each item to her own breakfast.

"Yes." Twilight decided to put her last mental note into practice before she forgot it. "Thanks, again."  
The other girl just nodded as a sign that it was nothing, like the night before. She was definitely more grateful for being lucky enough to run into such nice people.

The only sound that followed for a couple of minutes was that of the metal spoons against the ceramic bowls, the ticking of the clock, and more occasionally, the quick sound that was reproduced by the... cell? No, cell phone, or something like that. Those rectangular touchscreen objects with which everyone interacted with constantly, everywhere, at all times. Twilight did not understand exactly what they did, what made them so valuable and indispensable to everyday life, or why it was so important to own one.

"I suppose you have a few questions, right?" Said the redhead once she put aside the technological device, taking her out of the self-absorption again.

 _A few_ was a very vague and short word to describe the complexity of her insatiable curiosity as intense as a headache, which fortunately was actually starting to die a little. _Millions_ , would be, a more appropriate term.

In another moment, she would have packed the girl with questions. Thousands of questions about this universe and how it's magic worked —if it existed, based on what she saw a few minutes ago— their customs and culture, technological advances, the political system... She could write hundreds of books, reports or monographs on each subject if she investigated enough! Twilight had paid attention to all her surroundings since crossing the portal, taking mental notes of every detail.

But if she had to start somewhere, among so many things, she was most curious about since the previous night was how Sunset Shimmer had ended up there. The mirror/portal was in a rather unusual section in the Canterlot Castle, and only someone with regular access could have found it. Of course, there was the possibility that five years ago it was located in a different place, but it was clear that it was not public knowledge.

Still, she did not have the slightest right nor was it her business to ask, having met her less than twenty-four hours ago. Therefore, she crossed it off the endless list and went back to digging for something else of real relevance.

One appeared, or rather several, that she had not been able to solve after all these days and that she had unconsciously pushed to the bottom of her memory. Not as deep as certain _other_ facts. But let's say that being a trigger for her bad decisions, Twilight preferred to take it as something light that would be solved later on its own.

It was time to test if it really would be like that. If there was any small chance of being able to return home.

"Is it okay if I ask, what you know about... about the portal?"

Sunset Shimmer blinked in surprise for a second, before recomposing and continuing as she did two minutes ago.

"Well... I know that it opens for about three days every... thirty? Yes, thirty moons. I can't tell you if there are more, since I haven't encountered any other."

Thirty moons.

Thirty moons was equal to two and a half years.

She could not go back to Equestria, her home, for thirty moons, for two and a half years.

And worst of all, Twilight was not surprised. She had no idea why, maybe it had to do with the fact that the portal was closed when she found it again and that was when she decided to take a route in the opposite direction to the previous one and that resulted in the worst decision in the history of worst decisions she could have ever made, not only in the last month but in her whole life because she chose to stay with that stupid positivism that the sun would come out at any moment and everything would end well perfect and radiant but resulted in--

"Are you okay?"

She was not surprised.

Not with the portal, nor her attitude, nor the consequences.

She was not at all surprised. On the contrary, it was so, _so obvious._

Twilight swallowed almost without chewing an entire spoonful of her breakfast. She was in a neutral mood today, she did not want to ruin it. She was not going to ruin it. As much as the involuntary tear that escaped her left eye tried to prove otherwise.

Twilight placed a hand on her cheek to cover it, pretending to rest her head on her hand.

"Yeah, it's nothing..." she mumbled, making circles with the spoon in her oatmeal. She was hungry, but somehow now she felt as if her stomach had closed.

"You didn't know." It was a statement with a more inquisitive tone than anything else. Twilight denied slowly, not knowing if the headache had finally subsided or if it was actually the opposite.

"The information about portal is in the restricted section of Canterlot Library. And I couldn't go to the Princess to ask her permission." Actually, she could have sought her out to inform her of the opening of the portal. Even if the Princess was angry because of the "scandal" that Twilight had been the protagonist of at the rehearsal of her brother's wedding. Would that have been a better option, now knowing this new information? Maybe yes. Or maybe not and she anyway would be sitting in the same place now.

Did it make sense to think about this fifteen days later? No, not at all.

Anyway, making a wedding when you had the entire city alert to an unknown and invisible enemy was absurd. But in Canterlot everyone always liked to give that outward appearance of peace and self-sufficiency typical of the nobility, even though everyone knew that it was non-existent when it was one of the most important cities in Equestria.

"I thought it would open in less time." In _much_ less time, but, again, it did not surprise her. So for the sake of her mental stability, she decided to shrug her shoulders and dismiss the matter for the moment. "I guess I'll have to get used to this world, then."

Besides, it was not as if someone on the other side of the mirror cared, no matter how much it hurt. Ergo, the only thing left for her to do was think of a long-term plan.

Sunset Shimmer looked at her funny for a second, blinking, before answering.

"…Okay." She instantly recomposed as if she did not want to inquire a great deal on that subject. "I assume you're going to want some recommendation, then, right?"

Twilight tried to nod in the most controlled way possible, to hide her childlike enthusiasm at the thought of learning new things and finally being able to resolve some doubts.

"Where do you think I should start?" Improve hand motility? Though she was sure she had improved a lot by learning by imitation and by, well, trial and error. Become familiar with all those technological devices? That was part of their culture in a certain way, right?

Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment, biting the tip of her thumb of one hand while drumming the fingers of the other on the table.

"The first thing that comes to mind, which I guess you already know, but just in case. Don't tell people that you come from a parallel dimension, much less that they all are... uh, _talking equines._ " Twilight could not help frowning at such a description, even though it could be said it was right overall. The redhead only gave her a somewhat guilty expression. "Here magic doesn't exist, it's not something that can be proven by science or technology. Plus humans are the only ones with the ability of abstract thinking and articulated language. I know for a fact that they will not take you very seriously."

It was nothing that the —Damned? _Blissful?_ — experience had not shown her, but might as well know why exactly. In Equestria, magic manifested itself in all possible forms. One lived with both the interior with which it was born and the exterior that possessed the rest of the living beings that surrounded them. It was so natural, that it was explicable through scientific laws and paradigms that applied nothing more than to that reality. If this was a world based on science and technology, where magic had no place because it lacked a possible explanation, then it made sense that it was considered as something fictitious and non-existent.

Anyway, when she had the chance, she wanted to find out exactly what the purpose was of the formulas she had seen before.

"Another important thing is the use of hands." Sunset Shimmer now listed with her fingers, as if she were making a list inside her head. Twilight watched her, paying close attention and enlisted herself to take mental notes. "I see you take the spoon the right way, so I do not think you'll spend a lot of time learning how to write with them."

The ex-unicorn nodded, encouraged at the thought of being able to have summaries and annotations on a piece of paper. Since there was a point at which certain things were inevitable to forget. Maybe, if she carried a notebook with her, it would be a little simpler.

What followed was a little overview of the general technology, the basic functions of household appliances, or things already common in society such as television and air conditioning. The importance of the cell phone along with the inter...net, which together were the _great_ communicational elements of the century, and another pair of questions and answers that Twilight felt were convenient to have when the moment favored it.

The morning ended up taking an interesting and positive turn, despite everything. Sunset Shimmer managed to ease several of her doubts regarding cultural behaviors or attitudes. And about an hour and a half later, both teenagers found themselves involved in a lively conversation. Unfortunately, when it came for Twilight to inquire about her human counterpart, Celestia arrived with lunch and they were forced to change the subject.

Anyhow, there was time for that and for many more questions, she would be here for two and a half years. But this time she would do things well, take them slowly. To think them over and over again when she had a better idea of the world around her, then evaluate all the possible options and work out a workable plan on how she would live here until the portal opened up again.

After all, the worst had already happened, the best and most logical thing to do was to leave it all behind and simply move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Jay as always for the help! Without her, this would be a mess, haha. 
> 
> So this story ended up having the amount of attention that I expected for my other story. Oh well, it happens
> 
> I'm still writing next chapter, hopefully, it will be up by the end of this month


	3. Feverish Tuesdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, thanks to Jay for making this readable!  
> It took me 3 months and at least 7 rewrites but here it is!

In the last couple of weeks, Twilight woke up in a different place almost every day. Like that one time she opened her eyes to the complaints of the public library manager, saying that if she had problems at home, running away would only cause trouble. Or at the small museum where something similar happened. Or when misfortune led her to find herself in...

However, where she least expected to wake up on a Tuesday at around five in the morning was in the  _ bathtub _ , wondering when she thought taking a hot bath with clothes still on was a good idea.

It wasn't until her senses were fully awakened that Twilight noticed the wet cloth on her forehead, her warm cheeks and the slight ringing in her ears. And she came to the conclusion that it was probably the fever she had been coming down with since the night before, plus the side effects of the antibiotics. That, along with her tendency to have high body temperature, was the perfect result for  _ the flu _ .

If it weren’t for Celestia appearing to ask how she was doing, Twilight would have seized the opportunity to test how it felt to breathe with lungs full of water.

Seriously, anything else to add to the list?

The only good thing about this was that it made for a good excuse to not leave the house. Even though she had to promise she would go to the hospital if she had a fever again, just in case.

Fortunately, it was enough with a tea, a long nap, and a real shower to return to a more or less normal state. She still had somewhat of a headache, with a chill running through her body from time to time and the immediate need for tissues.

At the moment she was in the living room. Sunset Shimmer insisted that she didn't mind Twilight sleeping in her bed for a few more days, but the girl declined the offer. She didn't want to impose, especially when the exhaustion was falling like lead on her shoulders. She barely slept since the invitation to Shining's wedding. Plus, after traveling through the city on high alert, any spongy and warm surface was enough.

Besides, watching a television from a sofa-bed was a rare but comfortable experience. The device consisted of a thin rectangle with a black frame, which transmitted via satellite a variety of shows for all kinds of audiences. Like a cinema inside your house but without the need for a projector, or a dark room. And if it was boring, you could change the channel through a remote control with colorful buttons.

The most surreal of it all was that Celestia was sitting next to her, having vegetarian stew for lunch along with Twilight. Of course, she didn't let the younger girl help with the cooking, using the excuse that the doctor had suggested bed rest. Though Twilight still only felt confident enough to prepare food in the microwave, where you had to press buttons and not use knives.

In her "prized pupil" days, when she fell ill, the Princess used to keep her company with a cup of tea, extra readings, and answers outside the curriculum. Those were unique moments, where she spent her time with a pony of infinite wisdom and centuries of experience instead of a simple mentor. Where she could get closer to her and the invisible barrier of formality weakened a bit.

In contrast, her counterpart was a more simple person. As Twilight supposed, the Princess should be in private or in her youth. It took sixty-six hours to realize it, seeing how affectionate she was with her adopted daughter and staying to take care of Twilight as if she had known her all her life; forming theories about who could be the perpetrator of the crime in a television series.

It gave Twilight a sensation of comfort that, maybe, was urgently needed right now.

"When's the next episode?" asked the younger girl with enthusiasm, when dramatic music gave way to production credits. She expected at least one more, or some other type of series with the same theme. She always liked mystery and detective novels. It proved a good way to learn about the technological resources and the legal process sometimes required to solve a case. "I didn't know about this series, it's interesting."

"I think around five or six in the afternoon." Celestia couldn't help laughing when she saw Twilight deflate like a balloon, with a light pout and a childish moan implied in the gesture. "It’s quite a popular genre. But you don't watch TV much, I assume?"

"I grew up without one." According to Sunset's explanation the other day, owning a television had been a common thing for at least three or four decades. Still, there were controversies about whether the content transmitted was one hundred percent benign, and some people preferred not owning one. "My parents always prioritized reading."

"Well, that's a good thing. You always learn something new reading."

Choosing to simply let her be, Twilight gave her empty bowl to Celestia when she got up in the direction of the kitchen. She was only a bit sore, but it was enough to not want to move too much, not that she had the actual strength to do it.

In the next few minutes, Twilight watched the commercials while she waited for the next series on the wonderful entertainment device in front of her. Most included catchy songs that got stuck in her head, especially those that featured kids products. She even found herself humming a shampoo song in the last few days.

Celestia sat down next to her with two cups of tea right at the beginning of what looked to be a medical series.

"Twilight ... I didn't ask you before because I couldn't find a good time," began the older woman, in a tone that seemed casual but serious at the same time. "But, do you know where your parents are?"

Well, if she had to answer honestly, she knew. They still lived in the same house in south Canterlot, where both of their children grew up and moved out in their own time.

The Canterlot a closed portal away, of course.

Was there a way to answer that question without raising any doubts about her mental health?

"At home, I guess... Or at work." They didn't change their routine much. Otherwise, Twilight always found out at the very last minute.

Celestia then looked at her with an unreadable expression. It seemed neutral, but the long silence and the slight frown said something else. Something Twilight wasn't sure she wanted to decipher.

"Don't you think they'll be worried about you?" she finally inquired.

"...I don't know, maybe?"

Twilight bit her tongue for speaking so fast.   
  
For things like that, she usually ended up with bruises.

She didn't want to give the impression that her parents didn't care where she was or how she was doing. They always got along well. She visited them twice a month in Canterlot, on dates such as family reunions or birthdays, and they kept in contact via letters. However, they weren't exactly close. Spike knew her better than them, just because they grew up together.

Her parents had a different point of view, they took another approach on victories and what they considered "failures." Twilight had never invited them to Ponyville show them where she lived for that very reason. By Celestia, she didn't want to imagine if they saw her now. They would surely tell her how disappointed they were for everything she did and failed to do because Twilight Sparkle couldn't afford to fail even if the entire stars were against her.

The sudden feeling of a hand on her shoulder made her muscles tense, and a chill ran through every nerve point in her body.

Twilight struggled to diminish it with a heavy drink of tea, to make it disappear along with her hate for the sake of maintaining a neutral mood. Which sometimes didn't prove to be an easy task, not when out of nowhere she was afraid of even her own shadow.

She wasn't in danger, no one was threatening her. Why was she acting like this? Why did she feel so ashamed and vulnerable? 

_ Don't say anything, don't say anything, don't say an-- _

“What happened, Twilight?” asked Celestia, her voice soft and measured like last Friday, except less firm as the younger girl wasn't crying her eyes out this time. 

The hand was still there on her shoulder, warm and reassuring. It was a nice feeling. One that she tried to keep conscious against the voice of the fear echoing in a corner her head, screaming that she should run. Run as fast as possible, get away from that m--

“Nothing. I can’t fix it,” she murmured, feeling her throat like it was three days ago, with its raspiness being fresh and new. “So what’s the point in thinking about it?”

“How are you so sure it can’t be fixed?”

Twilight stared past her tea of blackish color with faint steam. Her thumbs went back and forth on the edge of the glass mug between her hands. A white duvet with flowers of various colors covered the lower part of the body. Were they roses or a similar flower? She had never been very good at gardening.

“I’m proof enough.”

At no time did she take notice of her arms, exposed from almost the shoulders down to the hands. Analgesics and creams could help reduce the pain of the bruises, but that didn't mean they disappeared in three days, or that she wanted to see them all the time.

What for? If the image that greeted her in the mirror every time she looked from the corner of her eye or by accident was proof enough. Proof that she never stopped to think and consider her words before speaking. That some things she should have kept to herself. That her decisions have _ consequences _ which were nobody's fault but her own. That she couldn't turn back time even with magic. That she wanted to be in Equestria, celebrating a wedding with friends or crying under the sheets of her bed in Ponyville.

Twilight wanted to be at  _ home _ , not at the extradimensional copy of it.

It took a moment for Celestia to answer, she always seemed to take a moment to reflect and say what she considered most convenient. An enviable quality.

“I think you only are proof of a strong girl, who needs to take her own time to heal properly.”

It was easy to imagine the Princess telling her something similar. It made it easier to think her mentor wasn't mad at her, even if it was an illusion. A pretty good illusion.

Twilight just smiled a little at her, slightly nodding as Celestia hugged her by the shoulders. It gave her a feeling of care and comfort that, however false it might be, was urgently needed right now.

At least she had that, right? Peace and calm, and the possibility of deciding how to move forward from now on, without surprises or last-minute plans.

Good thing Twilight already had an idea of what to do.

* * *

 

It was late at night. Most people were already at home, having late a dinner at home or sleeping, as was the case of the girls. Twilight had no problems falling asleep quickly, even with television in the background. Sunset, even though she was exhausted, required her mother to sit on the edge of the bed and make small talk until she relaxed. Celestia hoped it remained a rare thing, or she was going to start worrying.

However, at the moment she had other things to concern about. How she would explain all of this in detail was one of them.

She had talked to Luna on Saturday morning, just to get a second opinion. Both agreed not to say a thing until Celestia felt a hundred percent sure. Not like there were many options to choose from, it was a "yes or no" question. And perhaps it was intuition, but there was  _ something _ that told her she was right.

The phone conversation started casual as always, catching up on what they had been doing in the three weeks they hadn't seen each other.

Of course, there was the question of why she was calling them suddenly on a Tuesday night. It was then that Celestia went looking for a coat in her closet, knowing that they would want to meet immediately.

"I think..." She took a deep breath, an excited chill running through her skin when she realised she was about to pronounce a phrase she thought was only possible in dreams. 

"I think I found her."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Any theories?  
> I'd like to hear your opinions


End file.
